60 years of foreign medical aid

Dr. Wang Xingwen, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon of Neurosurgery Department of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, as a member of the 28th batch of Chinese medical team in Guinea, was awarded the honorary title of "National Advanced Individual in Foreign Aid Medical Work".

The year 2023 will mark the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of China's foreign aid medical team, and the 10th anniversary of General Secretary Xi Jinping's proposal of the spirit of Chinese medical team, which is " fearless of  hardship, dedication,   to save and help, and Boundless  love". On February 9, General Secretary Xi Jinping wrote a letter to the members of the 19th batch of China-Africa medical team, fully affirming the achievements of China's foreign medical aid team over the past 60 years, pointing out that the team members are "not only white-clothed angels saving lives and helping the wounded, but also friendly ambassadors conveying friendship". On October 20, the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the CPC conferred the title of "Model of the Times" on the representatives of the Chinese medical teams.

In December 2023, in order to carry forward the spirit of China's medical teams, commend the advanced and set up models, with the approval of the Central Authorities, the National Health Commission selected and awarded 30 "National Advanced Groups in Foreign Aid Medical Work" and 60 "National Advanced Individuals in Foreign Aid Medical Work" honorary titles. Among them, Dr. Wang Xingwen, Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon of Neurosurgery Department of Xuanwu Hospital, as a member of the 28th batch of Chinese medical team assisting Guinea, was awarded the honorary title of "National Advanced Individual in Aid to Foreign Countries".

National Advanced Individual in Foreign Aid Medical Work

During the period of working in Guinea, Dr. Wang Xingwen, together with the surgical teams of China and Guinea, overcame the difficulties of insufficient local medical conditions and completed the first microscopic lumbar interbody fusion, the first microscopic minimally invasive lumbar decompression and fusion, the first minimally invasive anterior cervical discectomy, and the first resection of a large malignant meningioma in Guinea.

Dr. Wang Xingwen and local doctors performed the surgery together

Customizing the microscope cover with cloth bag

Medical foreign aid, more difficult than personally operate to help in other surgery, is to bring technology to the local, especially facing the plight of limited local medical resources, the varied level of medical care.

Dr. Wang Xingwen found that because of the relative backwardness of the overall medical concepts, the concepts of minimally invasive surgery and microsurgery, which are commonly used in the world, are very much lacking in Guinea, and most of the doctors have not been trained in microsurgery system, and they are not very good at using microscopic techniques. He was sensitive to the fact that the development of microneurosurgery in Guinea would be an effective way to shorten the gap between Guinean neurosurgery and the world's leading neurosurgeries, and an exceptionalshortcut to help Guinean neurosurgery to achieve the development of the next generation.

For this reason, Dr. Wang Xingwen has designed a series of surgical teaching programmes on microsurgery for several doctors, built the first microsurgical laboratory for neurosurgery and held the first microsurgery training course, as well as the first neurological expert forum in Guinea. Today, microsurgery has gradually taken root in the China-Guinean Friendship Hospital.

The first Neuro-medicine Specialist Lecture in French

The first microsurgery training program of China- Guinean Friendship Hospital

Over the past decades, members of  Xuanwu Neurosurgeryhave always kept in mind the entrustment of the Party and the motherland, and have gone to the places in need without fear of hardship. They have actively participated in foreign aid, Xinjiang and Tibet aid, and local support activities, benefiting local people with their kind hearts and skills, bringing advanced technology and concepts of Chinese neurosurgery, telling the Chinese story with practical actions, and contributing to promoting the progress of health care in developing countries, fostering people-to-people exchanges, and advancing peace and development of mankind.

Wang Xingwen

Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University

NeuroSpine Center

Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon

Dr. Wang graduated from Medical College of Shandong University (Shandong Medical University) and received his PhD degree in Neurosurgery from Capital Medical University under the supervision of Prof. Ling Feng and Prof. Fenzang Jian. He has traveled to the United States, Germany, and Italy to learn advanced micro neurosurgical techniques.

He specializes in the treatment of spinal cord tumors, minimally invasive techniques for cervical spondylosis, lumbar spondylosis and peripheral neuropathy.

He is currently a member of the Spinal Cord Group of the Beijing Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and a member of the Peripheral Nerve Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and has published more than ten academic papers.